Sighthounds Galore Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spanish Greyhound

The Spanish Greyhound is slightly shorter than the more common English Greyhound and also has a wire-haired form that is extremely rare. Although not generally used in the field as a pure bred, it still maintains an aloofness which is more on a par with working or Eastern sighthounds.

Answer: True

Sticks are notorious for being a health hazard to all dogs, especially sighthounds. Your sighthound's chest is very large, and the skin can be quite thin. The most common 'stick' problem here is when they snap and become embedded in the chest wall. These sticks can often end up puncturing a lung!

Answer: Irish Wolfhound

The Irish Wolfhound did indeed stand on the brink of extinction when the wolf was wiped out in Ireland and the UK. It was saved by a British Army officer, Captain G.A Graham.
Although Irish in name, it is thought to have been brought over by the Romans almost 2000 years ago.
The Irish Wolfhound is well known for its gentleness with children regardless of it being the tallest breed of dog in the world today.

Answer: Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound was originally bred to hunt wolves and foxes and also to guard sheep and goats, a job that it still does in its country of origin. Known in its homeland as the Tazi or Baluchi Hound, this very independent breed comes in three varieties: short haired, fringed and long haired (the most popular in the Western World.)

Answer: False

The smallest sighthound is actually the Italian Greyhound, standing around 14 inches at the shoulder (a whippet stands above 17 ins.).
Often regarded as a member of the toy group, this fine-boned breed dates back to ancient Greece and Egypt. Although its purpose was to be a companion, it is still classified as a sighthound and indeed shares many common sighthound personality traits (it likes to have it own sofa!), as well as physical attributes that are general to all sighthound breeds.

Answer: American Staghound

The American Staghound has been used in many capacities in its time, from hunting for the settlers' survival to hunting just for sport. Due to its very gentle temperament, it is now becoming much more of a companion and family dog.

Answer: Saluki

The Saluki was developed by nomadic Bedouin tribesmen to hunt gazelle. Although the Islamic religion describes dogs as unclean, special dispensation was given to Salukis and other sighthounds, allowing them to live with "true believers".

Answer: Ibizan Hound

The Sicilian Greyhound (Cirneco Dell'Etna) and the Pharoah Hound are only known to have smooth coats, as does the Sloughi. The Ibizan Hound tends not to be as well-respected in Spain as the Pharoah and Sicilian. This has led to many welfare issues regarding this breed in Spain (for more info see the Podenco Aid Foundation http://hem1.passagen.se/komhund/index.htm).

The Ibizan loves children and makes an excellent family pet, although you will need a securely-fenced garden as this breed has been known to easily jump 7 feet from a standstill! This sighthound uses scent and sound to hunt, and because it has a soft mouth it is also used to point and retrieve!

Answer: Chart Polski

The Chart Polski is native to Poland and nearly became extinct during World War II. This breed remained relatively unknown until the fall of the Iron Curtain, the first litter was not raised sucessfully outside of Poland until 1991. Good with children, this breed makes a loving family pet. Due to its still-strong working background, however, this dog is still very much unsuitable for urban living.
For more info see http://members.aol.com/Houndski/

Answer: Azawakh

The Basenji is native to Zaire. The Rampur Greyhound is native to India, and the Chart Polski is native to Poland.
The Azawakh is an extremely graceful breed that is sadly quite rare. Used as a hunting dog and a guard dog, the Azawakh still retains strong hunting and guarding instincts which can make it somewhat unpredictable. A breeding program has recently been set up in the United States to save this ancient sighthound. This has involved taking several breeding pairs from the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. The Azawakh needs a little refining in the temperament area before it becomes a suitable family pet. For more info on this breed visit
http://www.azawakh.com/ieshome.htm